Many of us are using the COVID-19 lockdown as an opportunity to take stock, to reassess, to prioritize. And, of course, to spend a lot of time at home. No matter how hard you work on your home, no matter how much effort you channel into making it beautiful, comfortable and practical, it’s perfectly understandable that you might have nagging doubts. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and while that may be a trifle extreme, it’s fair to say that the imperfections in your home may seem all-too glaring when you are only able to spend a very limited amount of time away from your home.

In many cases, a few interior design flourishes will be enough to reinvigorate your home and give it a new lease of life. In some cases, however, you may need to make more fundamental changes to your home if you want to increase its value and make it feel brand new.

How an architect can help

An architect can help you to transform your existing home into your dream home. They will listen to your needs, goals and desires for your home and handle the logistics, planning and building code compliance issues in order to make your dream a reality. In an era where home architecture is changing, an architect can help you stay ahead of the curve and maximize your Return On Investment.

But how do you know you’ve found the right architect for you? Here are 5 questions you should ask…

What is your signature style?

Some architects are chameleonic in their approach, while others have a signature visual style and flair that is present in all their work. Neither approach is inherently wrong or bad, but one might be a better fit for your specific needs than the other. 

What excites you about this job?

Passion is essential in any profession. A great architect will be excited by the possibilities and challenges that your project represents. If they reel off a laundry list of challenges, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It shows that your architect has a proactive mindset and are constantly striving to push themselves. 

How does this compare to similar projects you’ve done?

An architect’s website, even one that you can build with an architect WordPress theme can show you a great deal about what you can expect from their input on your project. Check out Detroit based firm Neumann / Smith Architecture for a good example. If you can see images from a similar project that interest and excite you, this is a great sign. However, if they don’t have the images on their website, that doesn’t mean they haven’t tackled a similar project before. Ask them and they may be able to show you images and / or renderings from the project.  

Which contractors do you recommend?

An architect’s vision relies on the right contractors to bring it to life. Asking them their recommended contractors nice and early will allow you to do your due diligence on them so that you can be sure that they feel like a good fit for the job. 

How do you charge?

Finally, knowing how your architect charges is essential in keeping your project’s budget under control. Architects will usually charge a percentage of the total project cost upfront. This could be between 5% and 20%, depending on the scale of the project and / or the architect’s reputation. The more you know, the better you can plan your finances accordingly.